We’ll be having the grandparents over for Thanksgiving on Thursday then celebrating with my sister and her family on Saturday. We usually do an “alternative” menu for our after-Thanksgiving meal: steak. Yum!

What we’re eating this week:

Monday–spaghetti

Tuesday–leftovers

Wednesday—BBQ sandwiches, corn on the cob, salad (quick/easy because I’ll be cooking for Thursday!) We love the BBQ from a local restaurant/caterer, Pasgetti’s. Delish!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I decided to post a series of recipes that actually did come from my mom. (I’ll post recipes for cornbread dressing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and more within the days between now and Thanksgiving.)

First up: A Perfect Turkey

I promise that if you follow the directions for cooking this turkey, your turkey will turn out beautifully.

Remove giblets. Rub outside of turkey with salt and sprinkle generously with pepper and garlic powder. Inside the cavity, place one peeled onion, two celery stalks, one stick of butter, one cup of cold water, lemon, and rosemary sprigs.

Wrap the whole bird in heavy aluminum foil, checking to see that it is snug and tight. Put wrapped bird in roasting pan and cover with the lid. Or, to make your own roaster, use two aluminum roasting pans to form a top and bottom.

Cook for one hour at 350 degrees. Then lower the temperature to 275 degrees. Cook for thirty minutes per pound (about eight hours for a 16-pound bird).

During the last hour (eighth hour), lower the oven to 250 degrees. At the end of that hour, turn the oven off. Allow turkey to sit in the cooling oven for about thirty minutes.

Cool turkey completely before slicing.

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I know the timing can be a little tricky to figure out. Here’s a sample schedule (I’ll be doing something like this on Thanksgiving Eve):

So, I didn’t learn this from my mama or HGTV; but it’s a recipe and so, it fits in with this series.

In 1998, I did my student teaching in English for twelfth grade (someday I’ll tell you the sordid tale of my journey from broadcast journalism to PR to education to publishing; quite the interesting story that it is).

I cried everyday when I came home and worked so hard just to get through the semester. The students were the “standard” class, which meant that their only goal was to pass the class so they could graduate. Period.

Yeah. They cared not one hoot about the nuances of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (and, really, I couldn’t blame them). They had no interest in expanding their vocabulary nor writing a titillating essay.

I finally made it to Christmas break. I remember the kids asked me, “What are you going to do during Christmas break?” I replied, “I’m going to sleep. And then I’m going to clean my tile bathroom floor.” They looked at me as if I were a Martian, certainly relieved to be rid of me—that crazy woman who loved semi-colons and deducted points from essays for their use of crude language and descriptions of alcohol use and evading the law.

My highlight of that semester—I kid you not—was a sweet loaf of pumpkin bread. My mentor teacher baked me a loaf and gave me the recipe, too. It’s the best pumpkin bread I’ve ever eaten, and I always get rave reviews.

My notes: add ingredients in order as listed. Use a hand mixer to stir in the wet ingredients. I never add anything to my bread (I like it plain). Fill pans only about 1/2 to 3/4 full; filling too full will not get the bread done and the top will be gooey. Use more than 2 pans, if needed.

Yahoo! Kroger had an amazing sale on pork when I went shopping on Saturday! Guess what we’re eating this week?

I’m still on my new eating plan, so I’ll be eating mainly veggies. I’ll make the main dish for the family, but I’ll dine on veggies and maybe a little protein.

Here’s what we’ll have this week:

Monday-roast bbq pork(Boston butt roasts were $.88/lb. Unbelievable! I’ll cook it in the crockpot all day then shred it and serve with Montgomery Inn bbq sauce—the BEST bbq sauce you can buy in a bottle!)

Tuesday-leftovers

Wednesday-chicken veggie soup or chicken chili

Thursday-We’ll be dining at my daughter’s school spaghetti supper for a fund-raising event. I’m not sure how I’ll fare, since I’m not supposed to be eating pasta right now. Meat sauce and salad, I guess.

My post regarding more questions on predestination and election is coming. I’m figuring out, though, that when I work on theology posts, I take a little longer than the average “here’s what my kids did today” posts. I want to be accurate and include sufficient links to back up my assertions. Thus, my delay in getting the “questions” post up. Stay tuned …

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My sweet retired neighbor—”bless his heart,” as we say in the South—was vacuuming dead leaves from his yard this afternoon. If you live in Nashville and spent even 10 seconds outside today, you would conclude he is a crazy man. And you would be correct. Today, we had 30mph winds. The wind whipped and spun and slapped everything relentlessly all day long.

Dude. Vacuuming your leaves today was kinda like trying to drain the ocean with a thimble. Got news for you. As soon as you were done, your yard was covered again. With leaves from my yard. Yep. I’m positive.

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I’ve been wanting to tell you all about my new lifestyle eating program (I’m trying not to use the word, diet), Transitions. It’s a low-glycemic plan that is done in stages. This week is my first, with the detox/cleanse week. All veggies and fruits. That’s it.

Well, the first of the week went well. I have added a little protein here and there, though. Today was not so great, but I aim to finish on a positive note this weekend (yes, even with Halloween candy).

I am encouraged, however, and can certainly feel the benefit of whole foods in my body. The energy levels are much more even and the satisfaction lasts longer.

It’s an adjustment because we (as a society and my family, too, and I DO cook!) rely so much on processed and convenience foods. Yuck! Really, people. There’s gross stuff in those boxes and it kinda just clogs up in your body and makes you fat and lethargic.

This week is really unusual because I’m beginning a new eating and “lifestyle” program, Transitions. It’s a low-glycemic eating plan and the first week is a de-tox/cleanse week (more on this later). So, my eating this week is mainly fruits and veggies. I’m trying to make things that we all can eat and/or some things that I can easily supplement for the family and have a “complete” meal.

As he spoke to me,
the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet,
and I heard him speaking to me.

Ezekiel 2:2 (ESV)

When the Gentiles heard this,
they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord,
and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
And the word of the Lord
was spreading throughout the whole region.

Acts 13:48-49 (ESV)

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